Scottish Sea Farms trials automated feeding at Orkney site

Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms has introduced autonomous feeding to a site in Orkney in a collaborative project with feed producer BioMar and technology company Tidal. The aim is to document how real-time data, fish behaviour, and nutritional strategy can be more closely linked to improve feed conversion ratio (FCR), growth, and welfare.

The system is already operational and is part of the daily feeding routine at the site.

The project combines farming expertise from Scottish Sea Farms, nutritional expertise from BioMar, and Tidal’s AI-based camera system, which continuously monitors fish behaviour and environmental conditions during feeding. The feed rate is automatically adjusted in real time based on actual appetite and response in the pen.

Common KPIs

The project is carried out within a structured framework with common key performance indicators and ongoing evaluation of, among other things, FCR, growth, welfare indicators, and stability in feeding patterns.

“By collaborating across farming, feed and technology, we gain a more precise understanding of what actually happens during the meal,” said SSF regional production manager Duane Coetzer.

Mikey Clarkson, commercial manager at BioMar UK, said: “When we connect nutrition, fish behaviour and real-time data, we can develop more accurate feeding strategies that both improve fish performance and reduce environmental impact.”

Consistent decisions

Site manager James Lennie said the experiences so far have been positive.

“Already, in an early phase, we see that the autonomous feeding makes consistent decisions, meal after meal, based on real fish behaviour. The results follow the expected performance model, which gives us increased confidence in our decisions,” he said.

The project partners point out that the ambition extends beyond the individual site. The data collected will be used to further develop precision feeding and more consistent operations across sites and regions.

“Technology alone does not change the industry. Collaboration and shared ownership of data and insights do,” said Anders Fossøy, general manager at Tidal Norway.

The companies believe the project can help strengthen the interaction between farmers and feed suppliers through a more data-driven and documentable approach to feeding.